


The Moment He's Been Waiting For

by csichick_2



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 14:17:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2391425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/csichick_2/pseuds/csichick_2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver's been waiting for this his entire life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moment He's Been Waiting For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [100demons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/100demons/gifts).



This is the day Oliver has been waiting for his entire life. Not only did he make the Scottish team for the Quidditch World Cup, he made it as the starting Keeper. While most of the eyes will be on the Seeker, he would argue that his position is more important – after all it doesn’t matter who catches the snitch if one of the teams has a lead greater than one hundred fifty points. And if Percy rolls his eyes every time he points that out - well there’s a reason he’s the only Weasley that never played for Gryffindor. Though despite that, Oliver knows he can count on his best friend to share his excitement.

Oliver quickly learns that making the team was actually the easy part. The training to prepare for the matches is the most grueling of his career. As much as he hates to admit it, he’s not getting any younger, and he’s exhausted every night when he gets home. There are a few mornings where he stares at the ceiling before getting out of bed, wondering if this is all worth it. But of course it is, and nothing short of a repeat of the injury of his first match at Hogwarts will keep him off the pitch.

The day of the first match, Oliver’s the most nervous he’s been in years. As much as he tries to tell himself that it’s just another match, he’s knows it’s not true. It’s the most important match of his career so far. And if he messes up, he’ll never be able to live it down. He finds Percy rolling his eyes and telling him to stop fretting to be oddly comforting, and his nerves subside completely when he steps onto the pitch. He manages to prevent the other team from scoring any goals, but he knows it’s only going to get harder the farther they advance.

The first close match comes during the quarterfinals. The other team catches the snitch, but thankfully, Scotland was up by one hundred and sixty points, so they still win. Afterwards practice gets even tougher, to the point where Oliver is so exhausted that he doesn’t trust himself to apparate home with out splinching himself and manages to convince Percy to collect him from practice and side-along apparate him home. He’s not sure what Percy is going to demand in exchange after the World Cup is over, but he’s already decided that it will be worth remaining unsplinched.

After the thirteenth hour of the semi-final match, the coach subs Oliver out for the reserve keeper. Just in time too, as Oliver is fast asleep when they win 45 minutes later. When he relays the story to Percy, he instantly regrets it as he knows he’s going to be made fun of for months. He may be quieter and more serious than the rest of his family – but Percy is still a Weasley.

Finally the day of the championship match arrives. The most important day of Oliver’s life so far and one that is unlikely to ever be surpassed. His nerves are back in full force – less because of the importance of the match and more because he knows every one of his friends and family will be watching.

Oliver mentally berates himself when his nerves cause him to give up a goal in the first minute of the match. This match contains the best players in the entire world, and he needs to be on his A-game. He can’t let his nerves get the best of him. Scotland manages to score three goals before the quaffle gets anywhere near him again. Unfortunately, there’s a bludger close behind. He manages to prevent the goal, but the bludger hits in right in the side, nearly knocking him off his broom. He grits his teeth as he rights himself. He’s pretty sure he has a broken rib or two, but he’s not about to let that stop him. Not today. Not in the most important match he’ll never play. He lets another goal slip past him shortly after, but at least they still have a fifty point lead. He tries to track their seeker to see if she is anywhere near the snitch, but she’s too far away for him to tell anything. After blocking three more goals, the snitch hovers right in front of his face and he prays that the opposing seeker didn’t notice. A quick glance tells Oliver that he appears to be oblivious, much to his relief. He also notices his own seeker make her way in his direction he’s hoping that she’s seeing the same thing she does. Of course as soon as she gets close, the snitch takes off and it turns into a race between the two seekers. As much as he wants to track their movements, the other action on the field his headed back in his direction and he has to prevent the opponent from scoring any additional goals. Scotland has a comfortable lead, which Oliver wants to maintain, even if the match is going to come down to which seeker catches the snitch. When the match ends he’s not sure who won at first – at least until he hears the whoops of joy from his seeker. That’s when he knows they’ve won. That Scotland is has the best Quidditch players in the entire world.

The post match celebration passes in a blur, in part because the adrenaline from the match is wearing off and he’s more focused on not passing out from the pain. When he finally catches up with Percy, his best friend immediately sees through Oliver’s façade and tries to force him to see the team healer, though Oliver tries to put him off by claiming it can wait until the next day. Percy wins the battle, but only because Oliver does finally pass out from the pain. When he wakes up, his four broken ribs have knitted themselves back together from the potion he was given while unconscious, and a very nervous looking Percy is at his bedside and immediately launches into a lecture. Oliver nods at all the right places, but mostly he tunes Percy out. Scotland won the Quidditch World Cup and that’s all that matters right now.


End file.
